Online streaming services

I now have the Roku hooked up and have been exploring. Figuring out what to install or subscribe to is an interesting puzzle, harder here partly because of greater fragmentation: both Amazon and Netflix in the US have a poorer selection than their UK incarnation so are not an easy yes on that basis. Amazon Prime feels less worthwhile also because of the apparent randomness of delivery day but is probably worth it overall.

Netflix streaming is less obviously worthwhile, Disney took the Marvel series, though Netflix's DVD service's wide selection is well worth it for me, it should get me shows like Star Trek: Discovery (2019) and, for example, it offers Counterpart (2017) which was great. Still, even with patience the DVDs-by-mail may not cover enough: for instance, none of either The Mandalorian (2019) or Money Heist (2017) have come out on DVD. However, too many streaming services have too few shows I care about to be worth the subscription.

The Roku is otherwise working out well. I can get the international news I like, most immediately from from Al Jazeera, France 24, NHK, and Sky News, and someday I shall probably go with Sling's cheapest tier. I also appear to be able to stream a wide variety of international radio through it, including various BBC radio. I plan to browse carefully through FilmRise given that a glance at their app already found me both Charlie Jade (2005) and Ultraviolet (1998), which I liked, so there is a good chance I may like other offered shows.